Enjoying a delicious, home-cooked meal is one of the best simple joys in life. As much as we all love digging into a new recipe, the truth is home cooking isn’t always easy. Between meal prep and cleaning dirty dishes, it’s tempting to just order pizza and call it a day. Meal kit delivery services can help even the most hopeless of home chefs.
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As we adjust to our new normal during COVID-19, staying healthy is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Eating nutritious well-balanced meals is one of the best ways to boost immunity.
Say goodbye to grocery stores
First of all, heading to the grocery store is a time-consuming errand during the best of times. Typically, the average Canadian goes to their local grocery store five times every month, according to a 2018 study by Dalhousie University. The same report discovered each trip to the store takes approximately 32 minutes.
This summer, you’ll have to line up to enter the grocery store. Additionally, it’s best to disinfect every item you bring into your home. That is another frustrating extra step in the process. This makes shopping for food a more stressful and time-consuming feat. It also makes it less likely you’ll run out to the store if you need just an ingredient or two.
Most meal box subscriptions offer a minimum of three different recipes. They are designed with the option of two people or families of four. Aside from essentials like oil or sugar, everything you need to cook the meals is already included in your order.
You’ll waste less food
Unfortunately, food waste is one of the most easily preventable global issues our generation faces. After all, most of us toss out unopened bags of spoiled lettuce or leftovers that went untouched. Although these small habits may seem insignificant, it contributes to a much bigger issue. Fifty-eight percent of all food produced in Canada is wasted or lost. That is according to a 2019 report by Second Harvest.
Meal boxes are fantastic because each meal is already pre-measured and portion-ready. You don’t need to buy spices or unique ingredients for a recipe. That’s because you’ll only make once. Ultimately, this makes it much easier to experiment with different types of cooking methods.
Improve your culinary skills
Admittedly, if you’re new to cooking, chances are you’ll be doing a lot of stopping and restarting as you make your way through new recipes. However, once you’re more comfortable in the kitchen, meal boxes can help you have a better understanding of the components of an excellent home-cooked meal. You’ll learn how to master the art of a perfectly seasoned salmon or elevate pasta dishes that will rival Italian restaurants. Meanwhile, if you’ve already got mad kitchen skills, meal boxes are a great way to try recipes from different regions. You can experiment with new ingredients.
Meal kit delivery – Improve your mental health
Meal boxes come with easy step-by-step instructions that even the most novice home cook can follow. Since you already have all the ingredients on hand, it’s more fun to do prep work, like chopping veggies.
According to a study by The Journal of Positive Psychology, people who frequently take on small, creative projects like cooking report being happier. They are more relaxed. Of course, this applies to baking, too. It’s also the scientific reason why you’re seeing so many loaves of sourdough bread on your Instagram feed.
Easy at home dates
Another reason why meal kit delivery is worth it – cozy date nights at home. Nothing is quite as romantic as a homecooked meal for you and your sweetheart. Meal boxes often offer the option for premium meals with special ingredients like lobster or rib-eye steaks. Light a few candles, open your favourite bottle of wine. Then surprise your partner with a fabulous dinner ready and waiting. Another option is to make the meal together. That’s a fun way to do something new with your significant other.
Top image: Instagram, @hellofreshca
Angela Serednicki is a Toronto-based lifestyle journalist specializing in travel, health and wellness content. She’s written for some of Canada’s top publications, including Best Health, Reader’s Digest Canada, The Globe and Mail, Today’s Parent, The Huffington Post and MSN.com. After working with the largest luxury-focused travel agency in North America, Angela has become even more passionate about the incredible bespoke travel experiences the world has to offer. Angela is a proud graduate of Ryerson University’s School of Journalism.
